


How can you tell what kind of Love it is?

by BexsLD



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor Friendship, Childhood, Childhood Friends to Lovers, F/F, Family, Fluff, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Lena Knows Kara Is An Alien, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, The Love Is Requited They’re Just Idiots, They’re adorable, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, alternative universe, but she’s not supergirl yet, like a lot of it, not until later, years of yearning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29446905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BexsLD/pseuds/BexsLD
Summary: After Lionel dies, Lillian wants nothing more to do with her and Lena winds up getting fostered by the Danvers. After a year of living with them, Kara lands on Earth, unable to speak any English and Kal takes her to the Danvers who immediately take her in, no questions asked. Lena is drawn to Kara and they very quickly grow close.As they get older they both begin to question what kind of love it is they feel for each other. Is it that family kind of love from being raised together from they were thirteen, or is it something more?They both know, but neither will admit it.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 67
Kudos: 333





	1. Chapter 1

Lena wasn't sure what to think. For only being twelve, she had now experienced more death and abandonment than any child her age should.

When her mother died, she was only four and didn't know any better. She had a few memories of her that she managed to cling to over the years - her laugh, her smile, and the way she said her name. Those were the only things she could keep clear in her mind.

She did remember the after though. The crying out for her in the middle of the night for weeks after she was brought to the Luthor’s home and nobody coming to her side, nobody bothering to check if she was alright, or to comfort her in any way - not even her father.

Somehow it turned out okay, for a while at least. She got used to comforting herself rather quickly.

She had a big brother - Lex - who liked to spend time with her whenever the notion took him. He made everything much easier for her, especially when it became very clear that Lillian didn't like her at all.

But Lex's kindness didn't last.

He got older and became blinded by his ambition. His own obnoxious need to be the best had shoved Lena to the side when he discovered that she was much smarter than he was even despite the age-gap.

It had started when she beat him at chess for the first time shortly before she turned six and he never won a game against her again. He was ruthless when he played and that was one of the first things he taught her when she arrived - play to win, and don't hold back. So she didn't.

The final straw was when she corrected the circuitry for whatever machine he was building at the time when she was ten. She had changed the board, corrected the pattern and it worked flawlessly. She thought he would be proud of her, that he would give her a hug, or even a smile but instead he yelled - loud. She could still hear the aggressive snap of him calling her insufferable as he shoved her from the room.

He never spoke to her again after that, he barely even acknowledged that she existed.

And then Lionel died.

Lillian had eagerly jumped at the opportunity to get rid of her after Lionel's death. She wasn't her flesh and blood, she wasn't as special as her Lex. She was her dead husband's bastard child that she wanted nothing to do with.

The social workers tried to convince Lillian to legally adopt her and send her to boarding school but she had shut that idea down rather quickly. She made it adamantly clear that she did not want to take care of her late husband’s mistake, that she wasn’t her burden to take care of.

The only things Lena had left tying her to them was her last name, which she opted to keep despite Lillian's protests - it was her father's name and she had every right to keep it - and a bank account that Lionel had set up in her name that she would get access to when she turned eighteen. She had no idea how much was in the account but that didn't matter to her.

So now here she was, in the back of a car being driven to a new house, a new family. She had no idea what to think, or how to feel. She was being fostered by a family who lived in Midvale and besides that, she knew nothing else.

The car came to a slow stop outside a nice looking house. It didn't look anything like the Luthor's immaculately well-kept mansion that she had grown up in and was accustomed to - this looked like a real family home.

She hesitantly got out of the car and gulped as a tall blonde woman came out of the house with a warm, kind smile spread across her face.

"You must be Lena. I'm Eliza." She put her hand out towards her and Lena took it, giving the limb a nervous shake. "I'm so glad you made it here safe."

Her words took Lena completely by surprise. It was completely different to the reaction she had received when Lionel brought her home and she was still practically a baby then, brought into a cold, unforgiving home and being immediately rejected by the supposed mother figure.

The social worker stepped out of the car and Eliza shot him a smile, giving his hand a firm shake. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Danvers," he greeted her politely. He moved around the car and grabbed the suitcase from the trunk.

"Thank you for bringing her out, I know it's quite the journey. Can I get you anything to drink or eat?" she offered.

"A cup of coffee would be good while we talk, thanks. I'm afraid I don't have long, I have a flight back to Metropolis tonight," he explained.

Eliza nodded. "Of course." She turned her attention back to Lena. "You must be hungry. Let's get you fed and settled, honey." Her voice was soft as she held her hand out towards her for her to take and Lena hesitantly took it. Eliza smiled as she ran her thumb over the back of her hand in a soothing and reassuring motion.

Oddly, Lena felt comfortable as she was gently guided into the house. She felt welcome, she didn’t feel like a burden like she did in the Luthor’s house upon taking one step through the front door.

Her suitcase was left at the bottom of the stairs and they headed into the kitchen. It was simple, clearly very well-used and loved. Pictures and papers covered the fridge, there were little potted plants along the windowsill that panned the back wall looking out into a relatively big garden. It was a family home and she suddenly felt like she was intruding.

She stiffened a little as Eliza dropped her hand and walked further into the room. She lingered by the doorway watching nervously as she put the kettle on.

“Anything you want to eat?” Eliza asked, turning to face her again.

Lena shook her head, avoiding her gaze slightly.

“She’s barely spoken since her father passed,” the social worker piped up.

Eliza’s face fell slightly, a frown tugging at her lips. “Oh, well, that’s okay.” She made her way over to Lena. “We want you to be comfortable here. I can promise that you have nothing to worry about. You can do things when you’re ready, I know you’re a very smart girl and we will support you through everything.”

She was so nice, and good, and everything that Lena could have ever wanted in a mother. It reminded her of her own and a tear fell down her cheek. She stiffened and wiped it away quickly. Lillian had hated it when she cried so she tried not to. She’d become rather good at not crying in front of other people but Eliza’s caring words had caught her off guard.

“Honey, it’s okay,” she cooed. “Can I hug you? Is that okay?” she asked gently, opening her arms slightly, allowing her to make the decision for herself.

Lena nodded, stepping into the warm embrace and wrapping her arms around Eliza’s midsection. She couldn’t remember the last time someone held her like this and it made her cry more.

“You’ll be okay here, I promise,” she whispered before pulling back. She cupped her face in her hands and wiped her cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. “Is a ham and cheese sandwich okay?” she asked.

Lena giggled slightly, nodding.

Eliza smiled. “Come and sit, honey.” She led her over to the table and she sat down on one of the chairs at the brown oak table.

* * *

The social worker didn’t stay long, Lena had barely finished her sandwich before he wished them luck and scurried out the door.

Eliza looked up at her from across the table. “My daughter will be home soon,” she said.

Lena dropped her gaze, staring down at the cup of tea she was cradling in her hands.

“She’ll love you, don’t worry. She’ll help you get settled and she’ll keep an eye out for you when you start school,” she reassured her.

She shifted nervously in the chair. She wasn’t great at the whole ‘meeting the other kids’ thing. With Lex it worked out for a while and she couldn’t help but worry that would happen with her daughter as well, that eventually she’ll just stop pretending to care.

She heard the front door open and slam shut and she flinched. She thought when Eliza said ‘soon’ that she would have at least an hour to mentally prepare herself, not thirty seconds.

A tall brunette girl appeared in the doorway with a wide smile spread across her face. “Hey, you must be Lena. I’m Alex.”

She was certainly taller than Lena was but she expected that - the older girl was sixteen after all. Her hair fell to her shoulders and she had soft hazel eyes that were not quite brown but close to it.

Lena offered her a small, shy smile as she took a seat next to Eliza at the table.

She sat back, sipping periodically at her tea as she listened to Alex fill her mother in on what happened at school that day. It was strange and she felt like she was eavesdropping, it made her slightly uncomfortable.

“Hopefully Lena will be with us indefinitely, so I’d like you to make sure she’s comfortable and keep an eye on her at school, Alex.”

Eliza’s words made her eyes shoot up from the dark spot on the oak table that she had been staring at. Indefinitely. They were expecting for her to stay with them forever? They were willing to immediately take her in and accept her as a permanent member of their family without even a second thought? Even after a biological father and eight years of living with the Luthors, they didn’t make her a permanent member of their family.

“Yeah, of course.” Alex looked over to meet her gaze. “I can show you your room and help you get settled if you want?” she offered with a kind smile.

Lena was taken aback slightly by the offer and gave a small, hesitant nod, unsure of how else to respond.

Alex smiled widely. “Cool. That your bag by the door? I can take it up for you,” she offered, bouncing to her feet.

Eliza shot her a reassuring smile as she slowly got to her feet and followed Alex out of the kitchen. The older girl led her up the stairs and thumped each door on the way around the landing, telling her what they all were.

She stopped outside one room with a smile. “This is the guest room, which I guess is yours now,” she said with a soft laugh before opening the door.

Lena followed her into the room and looked around at the surroundings. It was a decent size and had all the basic necessities - a standard double bed, chest of drawers, wardrobe and a bookshelf that was mostly empty besides a few biological and chemical engineering and books that she was definitely going to have a read through when she was alone. The walls were a basic cream colour and the curtains were a light purple colour with a matching rug on the wooden floor.

“Hope you like it. You can put stuff up on the walls if you want, mum’ll not care. I’ve got some pins you can use if you do.”

She felt a little overwhelmed. She wasn’t allowed to put anything on her walls at home, anything that could cause damage was a no go, not that she really had anything that she would want to put up on the walls anyway.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Alex asked innocently. Lena dropped her gaze nervously. “It’s totally fine. You can take your time, don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to.”

Lena was constantly being taken aback by this family. There were so many things running through her head. Were they really this sincere or was it all an act until she was more comfortable around them? At least with the Luthors she knew from the beginning that she wasn’t welcome. This was something completely new and she had no idea how to react.

“I lost my dad a year ago and I know it can be difficult, but we’ve got each other here. We’re a family, and that includes you now.”

Lena felt tears fill up in her eyes the same way they had with Eliza and she released the breath she wasn’t even aware she was holding in. “Thank you,” she mumbled, so low it was almost inaudible. At first she wasn’t sure whether Alex had heard her or not but the wide smile that spread across her face confirmed that she had.


	2. Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to preface, I do use some Kryptonian and give translation. I did my research and anything I couldn’t translate, I’ve written in Italics to differentiate when they speak English and Kryptonian which I will be doing throughout this whole thing.
> 
> I hope you enjoy :)

Kara winced as she stared up at the sky. It was bright, and blue, and unlike anything that she had ever seen before. The air smelt fresh and there was a slight breeze that blew through her dirty blonde hair. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she clambered out of the slightly busted pod that she had spent the last however many years trapped inside.

She was finally free. Free from the confinement’s of the air-tight machine, free from the Phantom-Zone and it felt amazing to have the sun on her skin, to be outside in the world. She stood with her eyes closed, face towards the sky just taking it all in.

She heard a soft thud from behind her causing her to jump as she spun around. In front of her was a tall, broad man wearing a blue suit with a red cape and her house insignia attached to the front. “Kal-El?” she asked hesitantly.

His eyes widened. “Kara?” he responded, shock spreading across his face.

So it was him. But he was old, he wasn’t the same baby cousin that she had been entrusted to raise and protect - he was a fully grown man. He looked like his father, Kara thought, same jaw and nose with his mother’s eyes and hair.

“I didn’t think you’d ever make it. I’m so glad you’re here safe.” He spoke, but Kara furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding him.

 _“Ta?”_ Kara responded. (What)

His face fell. “Oh, you don’t - right. Okay, it’s fine,” he rambled but it sounded like gibberish to her. He cleared his throat. _“Ehngiuo?”_ he managed to stutter out - terribly. (English?)

Kara sighed. _“Your Kryptonian is terrible, Kal-El.”_ She was upset that she couldn’t understand him and it appeared that his own knowledge of their language was limited, but it was after all her job to teach him and she wasn’t there to do it.

He scratched the back of his neck. _“Sorry,”_ he mumbled. _“I can help you.”_ His pronunciation was decent at best and he stumbled over the words a little.

She raised an eyebrow. _“I’ll be living with you?”_ she asked. That’s how it was supposed to be, they were family after all, so naturally she assumed. 

He frowned. _“I can’t take care of you.”_ Her face fell. _“But I can take you to an old friend’s. His family will help,”_ he explained.

Kara was hesitant when he held his hand out towards her for her to take. Family stuck together so why wasn’t he sticking with her? She couldn’t fulfil her role as his caretaker, so surely the roles should now be reversed but they’re not - he’s refusing.

_“Please come with me.”_

She sighed and stepped forward, taking his hand.

He held it for a moment. _“It’s far so I’ll need to carry you. Is that okay?”_ he asked.

Kara nodded and he scooped her up into his arms. It felt strange.

She remembered the day he was born so clearly. How he’d been wrapped in his little red blanket and passed around the family to hold. Kara couldn’t believe how small he was with the soft tufts of black hair on his head and his tiny hands.

The last time she saw him he was barely a year old and now here he was, a fully grown man, carrying her like she used to carry him.

He took off into the sky and she flinched in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging tightly to him. He chuckled. _“Soon you’ll be able to do this. I’ll be there to teach you,”_ he said.

Soon she’d be able to fly? What else would she be able to do? She supposed that she shouldn’t worry if Kal would be there to teach her - at least he was willing to do that much if he didn’t want to look after her himself.

* * *

They touched down in front of a nice house. There was a strange vehicle parked on the path at the front and it was surrounded by a fence that separated it from the fields. There were trees and flowers and it looked beautiful.

Kal put her down and shot her a reassuring smile as he made his way up the steps and knocked on the white door.

A blonde woman appeared in the doorway with wide, shocked eyes, but a kind smile. “Clark, what a surprise. Is everything okay?” she asked.

“I’m really sorry to drop in I just- I was hoping you could help me?” He turned and looked back at Kara over his shoulder.

The woman followed his gaze and she let out a soft gasp when her eyes stopped on her. Kara shifted uneasily under the new set of eyes. She dug her heel nervously into the gravel at the bottom of the three wooden steps leading up to the front porch of the house.

“Of course. Come on in,” she responded in an instant.

Kal turned to face her and put his hand out towards her again. _“Zhgam,”_ he said softly. (Come)

Kara hesitated for a moment, looking up to meet the woman’s gaze again. She shot her a smile that made her feel almost at ease and she made her way up the steps, following the pair into the house.

She stood while they spoke and felt extremely left out. She assumed that Kal was explaining the situation because after a moment, the woman’s face fell and she looked over at Kara with sadness and pity in her eyes.

Kara jumped when a brunette girl made her way into the kitchen and she also flinched in surprise.

“Oh, sorry,” the girl mumbled.

“I’m just making some tea, do you want some, honey?” The blonde woman, who she learned was called Eliza, asked.

She nodded. “Please.”

The girl looked to be her age, or well, the age she was when she left Krypton anyway. Her brown hair was almost black and fell in soft waves to her shoulder blades. She was shorter than her and, even for being so young, her face was well-shaped, with high, defined cheek bones and a sharp jawline.

She looked up at her and Kara almost melted at the sight of her pretty, sparkling green eyes and her kind smile.

“Hi,” she said.

Kara frowned, wishing to herself that she could respond. There was an odd nagging feeling in the back of her head where she wanted to understand so she could speak more to her, it was stronger than her wanting to have a decent conversation with her cousin where one of them isn’t confused.

“She doesn’t speak English.” It was Kal speaking now and whatever he said made the brunette’s face soften. “Her name is Kara, she’s my cousin.”

Her head shot over to Kal at the mention of her name. _“Ta nahn i threv?”_ she asked. (What is her name?)

“Lena,” he responded.

That was a pretty name, she thought.

Kara looked back at the brunette again and smiled. _“Ehrosh bem, Lena.”_ (Hello)

She watched as the smile returned to her face. “Oh, hello, Kara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s shorter, but I just needed to establish Kara coming to earth. The POV shifts between them almost every other chapter so we can see what’s going on in their nervous little brains.  
> Let the yearning begin is all I have to say. 
> 
> Feel free to follow me on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/)  
> Thanks for giving this story a shot and I’ll hope you’ll stick around to see the fluff I have in store.
> 
> Bexs ❤️


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Call me eager, but I just finished writing chapter 6 and that came with a desperate need to upload another chapter so I hope you enjoy.

Lena was intrigued by Kara. The girl looked her age, but according to her cousin was older than him by twenty-four years.

Her language sounded beautiful falling from her lips when she said hello.

I wonder if she’d teach me? Lena thought to herself. She’d certainly like to learn, perhaps it would help her become more comfortable on earth? Now certainly wasn’t the time to ask, she had just gotten here after all, but maybe within a few days when she’s settled a little.

Eliza set a mug of steaming tea down on the table in front of her and pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead. “Thank you,” she mumbled, cradling the warm mug in her hands.

In the year that she’s been with the Danvers family, she has opened up a lot. She hasn’t confided in them in detail about anything that happened to her while she was with the Luthors, but they knew enough.

The more time that passed, the more she felt comfortable and welcome, so she started to speak and include herself in the science debates that Eliza and Alex would often have, or just simple, familial conversation.

She really felt like she belonged with them, and they did everything they could to make sure she felt that way.

“I really hope I’m not imposing but I was hoping Kara would be able to stay with you?” Clark continued. “Things as Superman can get pretty dangerous and I don’t want to put Kara in the way of that.”

Lena thought it was understandable, he was clearly looking out for Kara’s best interest. She knew from personal experience that it probably wasn’t going to be easy for Kara to accept. He seemed capable, but it may be difficult for her to see that he’s not in the position to raise a teenager.

Eliza nodded quickly. “Of course, Clark,” she responded without a second thought.

Lena admired Eliza’s selflessness. She always put others before herself and was the most empathetic person that she had ever met. Eliza Danvers was the exact opposite of the Luthors in every way.

Clark let out a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you so much, Eliza. I’ll do everything I can to help, if you ever need anything at all just give me a call. I’ll be very hands on when her powers begin to manifest, it can be a difficult time,” he explained.

Lena felt her curiosity growing with every word he said. She was aware of Superman, obviously, he had started saving and protecting people in Metropolis shortly after she left. She knew his powers were harnessed by that of Earth’s yellow sun but she was under the impression that they were an instant kind of thing that set in upon stepping into the sun rather than them manifesting over time.

“I know someone who can sort her out with documents. He’s one of Jeremiah’s old contacts and I’m sure he’ll lend a hand,” Eliza piped up.

Clark nodded slowly. “As for the language barrier-” he trailed off slightly, looking at Kara who was still standing in the doorway.

She thought it was unfair that Kara couldn’t understand them when it was her fate being decided. She watched her shift slightly under his gaze.

“There’s a few Kryptonian reading books in the Fortress with a few translations and things that explain the language. I can bring them by and hopefully it’ll make her learning English a little easier,” he finished.

Eliza nodded.

Perfect, Lena thought, she would be able to learn Kryptonian. It caused a small smile to creep across her face as she continued to sip at her tea.

“Lena,” Eliza called out and she looked over to her. “Are you alright to share a room with Kara, honey?”

She nodded. “Of course.” She was expecting that. She wouldn’t have expected freshly seventeen-year-old Alex to share when she was Kara’s apparent age. She was almost excited at the idea of sharing a room with someone.

She just hoped that her and Kara would get along well enough.

Lena’s gaze drifted back over to Kara who was staring back at her. Kara smiled at her and Lena felt her cheeks flush slightly.

Maybe it wasn’t so much a hope as a guarantee. She just had a feeling.

* * *

Clark was very quick when it came to getting another twin bed and building it, along with rearranging the rest of the furniture in the room so it all fit nicely without looking crowded. 

The two beds were pressed against opposite corners along the back wall. Lena’s remained the same in it’s soft purple sheets and Kara’s was done in the spare blue set. She only used the chest of drawers so the still empty wardrobe was perfect for Kara to use.

She had taken Alex up on her offer to pin stuff to the walls, although, all that she had up was a periodic table above her bed so it was moved accordingly and re-pinned.

Alex had arrived back from her friend’s house in the middle of it all and was shocked to see Superman building a bed in her house. After getting the rundown and introducing herself to Kara she was quick to get a few pairs of jeans and shirts for Kara to have until she got some stuff of her own.

Lena would have done the same, but unfortunately all she had to offer was the odd baggy sweatshirt she herself had been given by Alex since the blonde was taller than her.

They all stood in the hallway as Clark readied himself to leave.

Kara looked like she was about to start crying and he pulled her into a hug. _“You can call me whenever you want,”_ he whispered to her in Kryptonian. _“Khahp ukiem ripp.”_ (I love you)

The language sounded beautiful and Lena longed even more to learn and understand it.

They pulled apart and Kara gave him a small wave before he took off into the sky.

* * *

The rest of the day was slow. Kara reminded Lena a lot of herself when she arrived with the Danvers. She was quiet and skittish, she jumped when someone spoke and was constantly looking around her and avoiding eye-contact.

But Lena knew she had it harder. She lost her home planet, everything that she knew and now she’s in a new place with new people where she doesn’t even speak the language.

Dinner went down a treat though. Alex had managed to convince Eliza to order Chinese and Kara seemed overjoyed by the different foods and flavours. Upon seeing how her blue eyes glistened as she bit into a potsticker, Lena couldn’t help but transfer her two onto Kara’s plate.

The look Kara had given her in response will forever remain ingrained in her mind. Her eyes were soft, slightly tearful from the hotness of the curry that she was yet to adjust to, and a wide, friendly smile.

She also mumbled something in Kryptonian - _Nahkluv_ \- which Lena could only assume meant thank you.

They had settled into bed later that night, and Kara fell asleep instantly.

It usually took Lena a little longer to get to sleep, but there was something about Kara being in the room with her that made her feel safe and she fell asleep within a few minutes.

She didn’t know what time it was when she was woken up by a soft mewl. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked over at Kara who was turning restlessly in her bed, soft whimpers of Kryptonian falling from her lips.

She felt her heart clench from inside her chest - this was a sight she knew all too well.

She was about to get out of bed and go over to her when Kara started screaming.

Eliza was in the room in an instant. She leant down next to Kara and laid her hand gently on her arm. “Kara, sweetheart. It’s just a dream, you’re alright,” she cooed. She gave her a gentle nudge and Kara shot up.

She turned her head, looking around her with tears flowing freely out of her wide, fearful eyes.

“You’re okay,” Eliza whispered. She sat down next to Kara on the bed and gently pulled her into her arms, holding her close as she continued to reassure her. Her fingers threaded through her hair, pushing her blonde curls out of her face.

Lena looked up as Alex appeared in the doorway. They locked eyes and shot each other an identical frown.

Alex made her way over to her and sat down next to Lena on her bed. “Nightmare?” she whispered.

Lena nodded, still watching as Kara sobbed into Eliza’s shoulder.

She had been like that too. She hadn’t screamed, but she did cry a lot and somehow Eliza always knew. She even stayed with her the first few nights, holding her tight in her arms while she slept. The act was reassuring and made her feel safe, it was everything that Lena missed about her mother.

Alex wrapped her arm around her as she felt a tear run down her cheek. “You’re going to be good for each other,” she mumbled. “I can tell.”

Lena sighed and rested her head on her shoulder. “I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather frequent uploads because this fic is my new baby. To hell with all the uni work I’m supposed to be doing. I’ve tried my best with Kryptonian, I’ve researched but if you happen to be well-versed and want to point out any mistakes I’ve made throughout this whole thing, please feel free to do so, it would honestly be greatly appreciated.
> 
> As always, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) if you’re interested. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading so far, I hope you stick around.  
> (I’m also going to apologise in advance for the next chapter.)
> 
> Bexs :)


	4. Chapter 4

It was now Sunday and Lena was dreading school the following day. She didn’t normally. Despite not actually having any friends having been dubbed ‘the weird nerdy girl’ and ‘teacher’s pet’, she enjoyed it. She kept her head down, did her work without a hitch, and sat with Alex at lunch - every day was more or less the same.

It was leaving Kara at home by herself that she was hesitant about.

Sure, she had Eliza so she wasn’t actually going to be alone, but the feeling was something that had started to linger in the back of her mind around dinner when she remembered that she had some math homework to finish. Kara has only been here two days and she and Alex were always around, it was certainly going to be strange for her.

Clark had come back on Saturday morning with the promised Kryptonian translations but beyond that, he didn’t stay for long.

Lena looked across the room at Kara as she finished her homework. She couldn’t help but smile at the little stick on, glow in the dark stars that were stuck all around the wall surrounding the head of her bed and up to the ceiling. They had been helping Kara get comfortable a fair bit as she stared at them glowing their soft green in the dark before she went to sleep each night.

Kara was staring down at a spelling and grammar workbook with pages of basic Kryptonian translations that Clark had given her spread out around her on the bed. The book was full of simple worksheets intended for children and Kara had been trying since Clark brought them to work her way through it, muttering to herself in Kryptonian as she went.

Eliza had gone over basics with her earlier that day, but she was clearly determined to make some headway in learning the language on her own.

“Can you teach me?” Lena asked hesitantly, breaking the silence that had been lingering in the room since they finished dinner.

Kara’s head shot up and she stared back at her. She furrowed her eyebrows.

Lena shifted nervously, setting her maths book down on her bed. “Kryptonian. Can you teach me?”She hugged her legs close to her chest. “I could help you with English if you want? It might make it easier?” she offered.

She had no idea whether she could understand her offer or not as Kara stared back at her blankly.

 _“Gaolom?”_ Kara mumbled. “Learn?” She pronounced it wrong, like le-arn, but Lena couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

“Yeah. Would that be okay?” She twiddled her fingers, picking slightly at the skin around her thumb.

Kara smiled. It was the first real smile she had seen on the girl’s face. _“Zhi.”_ She nodded. “Yes.”

* * *

They were sitting next to each other on Kara’s bed like they had grown accustomed to over the past week, going over English and Kryptonian.

Every night after dinner, once Lena had finished her homework of course, she would climb up next to Kara on the bed and they would start teaching each other their languages. Sometimes Alex would join them, but not tonight since she had a test that she was busy studying for.

They started off with simple basics, introductions, numbers, and continued the same way you would learn a language in school. However, more often than not, one of them would ask a specific question which would lead them well off topic and they would wind up talking about something completely different.

Kara was picking up thing rather quickly and she was impressed with Lena’s ability to pick up on her language as well.

“Your Kryptonian is now better than Kal’s,” she said. Her lips jerked slightly as if she wasn’t sure whether to smile or frown.

“ _Nahkluv_ ,” Lena responded. (Thanks). “You’re really quick at learning English,” she complimented in return.

Kara was smart, like, really smart. Over the past few nights she’d been fawning over the math homework with her, giggling softly as she did a few of the calculus questions from the book on her own. She was in an advanced math class with a lot of the seniors because they thought it would be more beneficial and challenging for her, but it wasn’t. She was naturally good at the subject and it seemed so was Kara.

“How come Kal didn’t learn?” she asked hesitantly.

She knew from his visits that Clark knew Kryptonian but he wasn’t fluent like he should have been, that he only really new the bare basics and then some extra things here and there.According to Kara, his pronunciation wasn’t great half the time, but it was decent. It was good enough to understand.

Kara shrugged. “I do not know. I was meant to teach him but I was not here.” She spoke carefully, annunciating every word to make sure it was coming out correctly. Lena couldn’t help but smile at the odd, but cute, accent that fell from her lips when she spoke.

She suddenly felt a little uneasy. “Are you okay with teaching me Kryptonian?”

Kara quickly nodded. “Of course, Lena. You help me, so I teach you.” She shot her a wide smile and Lena couldn’t stop the slight pink that spread across her cheeks.

They were going over how to say whether you liked or hated something. Kara was amazed by how many different variations of one word there were.

“But you only have one word for love?” Kara asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she stared down at the word on the page.

Lena shifted. “I suppose so. I’ve never really thought about it, honestly.”

“You use the word love for everyone and everything?” she asked.

“Yeah, why?” Lena raised an eyebrow, growing slightly confused.

Kara looked up to meet her gaze. “We have different words. _Ukiem_ is for family, _zhao_ for romantic, and _shovuh_ for just about everything else,” she explained. “Oh, and _satogh_ too, but it’s not about people.”

Lena nodded along, making notes in the notebook she had been keeping. It was full of words, phrases, and the occasional scribble of Kryptonese symbols that Kara had drawn in the corners of some of the pages with the Kryptonian pronunciation and English translation written underneath them.

“How do you tell?” Kara suddenly blurted. “If you don’t have the words. How can you tell what kind of love it is?”

The innocent question should have been simple enough to answer, but Lena couldn’t think of one. She had Kara’s big blue eyes staring at her from beside her on the bed and her throat went dry. “I don’t know. I guess you just know.”

Kara seemed unconvinced. “Easy?”

Lena let out a soft bark of laughter. “Maybe sometimes, I guess. But it depends.” She dropped her gaze. “I never had much luck on that front. My family didn’t even like me, never mind love me,” she muttered.

She knew her fair share of what Kara was comfortable telling her about her planet exploding and her time in the Phantom-Zone, it was mostly in correlation with the nightmares that haunted her every night, but Lena hadn’t done much talking about her own troubles. She didn’t think it was the right time or place to lay all that on her. As close as they were quickly becoming, Lena wanted her to be really settled and comfortable, but if she ever asked she would certainly answer.

Kara stared at her, eyes soft as she slipped her hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

At least, Lena assumed it was meant to be gentle. She heard a soft crack and felt a searing pain run through her hand and down her wrist. She let out a soft mewl as she registered the pain.

Kara immediately dropped her hand and fell from the bed in an anxious attempt to get away from her.

Well, there’s the powers beginning to manifest like Clark had said they would.

There were tears falling quickly down Kara’s cheeks and Lena tried desperately to hold back her own from the pain in her hand. “Kara?” she choked.

She shook her head quickly, backing away so much that she wound up pressed against the side of Lena’s bed. She hugged her legs to her chest and was muttering quickly to herself in Kryptonian, so quickly that Lena couldn’t understand any of it.

The door swung open. “I heard a bang, what - Kara?”

Lena looked up at Alex who was standing wide-eyed in the doorway.

Her face dropped as she saw how Lena was holding her hand to her chest with tears in her eyes. “Shit. Hold on, I’ll get mom.” She quickly ran down the hall, the loud thumps of her leaping down the stairs echoing through the house.

“It’s okay,” she said, looking back Kara who was clinging desperately to her legs, still muttering.

She shook her head. “I hurt you,” she whimpered. _“i rral.”_ (Your hand)

Eliza appeared in the doorway and let out a soft sigh. Lena watched as she made her way over to Kara and leaned down in front of her on her knees.

“Sorry,” she whimpered. Eliza reached out to put her hand on Kara’s knee but she flinched and quickly moved away before she could touch her. _“Zha.”_ (No)

“It’s okay, honey. We’ll get Kal-El. He’ll help,” she assured her.

Kara nodded slowly, tears still falling freely down her cheeks.

Eliza got to her feet and made her way over to her. She sat down next to her on Kara’s bed. “Can I see?” she asked.

Lena held her hand out towards her. There was a large purple bruise already covering her pale skin. She let out a loud yelp and the tears finally fell from her eyes when Eliza touched it.

She sighed. “Call Clark and have him come immediately. I have to take Lena to the hospital to get her hand bandaged up and put in a splint. It’s definitely broken,” she said to Alex who was standing in the doorway.

“I’m so sorry,” Kara choked out, meeting her gaze again.

“It was an accident. It’s okay,” Lena responded as she got to her feet.

Kara dropped her head to her knees as Eliza guided her out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor babies, I hate doing that to them but the next chapter definitely makes up for it, I promise. 
> 
> As always, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) and I’ll see you in the next one where things get better (Kinda).
> 
> Bexs :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I’m busy and can’t update tomorrow so my little brain decided that updating a second time today was okay.  
> I also have no chill and this is my favourite of what I’ve written so far.  
> Hope you enjoy x

Kara had barely spoken to Lena since the night she accidentally broke her hand.

It was a clean break on the second and fifth metacarpals on her right hand with bruising on the third and fourth so it’s not as if she completely crushed her hand but she still felt extremely guilty and upset that it happened.

Her hand was put in a splint that she had to wear full-time for a month then she’ll go back to the doctors to see if any extra time will be needed. She’s able to remove it for washing but she has to be careful.

No matter how many times Lena told her it was alright because it was an accident, Kara wouldn’t accept it. She never wanted to hurt Lena in any way ever again.

The rest of her powers started manifesting throughout the week which made things worse. Everything was louder, brighter, and so much more overwhelming than she had ever experienced. She could even see through things. Kal had managed to get to her before her apparent heat vision set in.

The thought of that one filled her with an almost overwhelming amount of fear. She wanted to get it under control immediately. Breaking a few bones was one thing, but if that heat vision got out of control...

It was something that she didn’t want to think about.

Her English lessons with Lena had taken a temporary backseat because she was focusing all of her energy into controlling herself. Being surrounded by the Danvers, she was actively picking up bits of English but wasn’t actively learning and certainly not with Lena like she had been for the entire week prior. She didn’t want to be close to Lena until she could guarantee that she would never hurt her again.

However, Lena had continued to learn Kryptonian and had excelled quite quickly. They still shared a room and Lena would often curl up on her bed with the translations Kal had left and would work her way through them, asking Kara from across the room about sentence structure and occasional help with pronunciation. She would offer insight for English in return sometimes which Kara silently appreciated.

It brought a smile to her face when she would say something to her in Kryptonian. She never expected any of them to put in this much effort to make her comfortable. She was watching Lena open up more as well and she couldn’t help but feel happy that she was possibly helping her too.

* * *

She stood facing Kal in the Danvers’ backyard. He’d been coming by every other day to help her learn to control her new powers.

Kara fiddled nervously with the lead-lined black glasses that he had given her as she looked over at Lena. She was sitting on the porch, curled up in a chair with a mathematics book in her lap. She held a pencil a little clumsily in her left hand, but she was good enough at writing with it that it was still readable, it just took her slightly longer. She couldn’t help but notice how Lena would lift her head every so often to watch her.

Lena noticed that she had been caught staring and a sweet pink flushed her cheeks as she dropped her gaze and returned her attention to her work.

Kara looked back at Kal. It was odd seeing him out of his Superman uniform. Instead he was wearing jeans and a red t-shirt but it was a rather nice day so she couldn’t blame him.

It was refreshing for him to appear more normal, and dare she say, friendly, around her. Up until now, he’d been strutting with his cape and the House of El insignia on his chest like he was a higher being than her. Kara was a little offended by the act when she first arrived, but he seems to have relaxed a little.

She slid the glasses off her nose and handed them to Kal. She pressed her hands to the side of her head and let out a whimper as so many different sounds started to flood her ears. It made her vision twist and she felt dizzy.

 _“It’s too loud, Kal. It hurts,”_ she gasped.

“It’s okay, Kara,” he said calmly. “You just have to focus on something.”

She shook her head quickly and squeezed tighter. “Can’t,” she groaned. There were too many sounds - the wind in the trees, the high-pitched tune of birds, footsteps and laugher of people walking from down the street; it was overwhelming.

“Lena, no! Go inside!” Kal yelled and Kara immediately felt herself panic. She refused to open her eyes but knew from her cousin’s reaction that Lena was coming closer.

“She won’t hurt me, Clark. I trust her.” She grasped the not hurting her part, but the end of her sentence Kara didn’t quite understand but it was clear from her tone that she was scolding him.

Kara instinctively took a step back.

 _“Shahr khap,”_ she said. (Trust me)

The sound of the Kryptonian falling flawlessly from Lena’s lips came as a shock to her.

 _“Ehlir vo i zhor,”_ Lena whispered. (Listen to my heart)

Kara refused to open her eyes. She flinched when she felt a warm hand trail through her hair. Lena’s fingers pushed the strands away from her face.

 _“Ehlir,”_ she repeated.

She let out a soft whimper. “I can’t.”

“You can.”

She felt a hand wrap around her own and it was pressed against something warm. She stiffened, praying to Rao that she wouldn’t hurt her again. Underneath her hand, Kara could feel the soft, even beating of Lena’s heart and the rise and fall of her chest as she took calm breaths.

 _“Bah khap,”_ she whispered. “Breathe.” (With me)

Kara took in a deep breath, following Lena’s gentle instructions. She mimicked the rise and fall of her chest taking in steady breaths and releasing them slowly.

 _“Bem,”_ she whispered as she ran her fingertips softly over the back of her hand. “Keep going. You’re doing so well, Kara.” (Good)

Everything grew quieter as she felt herself begin to calm down. Soon all she heard was the soft, steady thrum of Lena’s heart. She let out a soft gasp of relief.

“That’s it, Kara,” she cooed. “Are you going to try open your eyes now?”

Kara shook her head, too afraid to try. She felt Lena’s hand move away from her hand that was still resting on her chest and thread through her hair again.

“You can do it,” she whispered. _“Khap nahn ukep.”_ (I am here)

That’s what she was afraid of. Lena was right there in front of her with her hand in her hair and Kara’s own hand pressed against her chest. She was scared that if she opened her eyes she would lose control and hurt her even worse than she did the first time.

“You won’t hurt me again. _Khap shahr rrip.”_ (I trust you)

Kara let out a slightly ragged breath as she nodded her head. Lena trusted her, and she trusted Lena. Perhaps it would be okay.

She hesitantly opened her eyes, squinting slightly as she adjusted to the blaring sunlight above them. As her vision focused, she found herself staring into Lena’s kind green eyes.

A wide smile spread across Lena’s face. “Good, there you go.”

She wanted to hug her. She wanted to wrap her arms around her and thank her, but the fear of crushing her was overwhelming.

Kara turned her head and saw Eliza and Alex watching in awe from the porch. They’d probably come out in the middle of everything and watched as Lena calmed her. Clark had the same look on his face but he looked more surprised.

“You learnt Kryptonian that quickly?” he gasped.

Lena turned to face him, Kara’s hand dropping to her side. “Kara’s been teaching me.”

 _“She is wonderful,”_ Kara whispered to herself, so low that she knew Lena wouldn’t have heard even though she was only inches in front of her. She knew Kal had heard her from the way he looked at her over Lena’s shoulder.

Kal nodded slowly. “Will you be okay, Kara?” he asked.

She nodded slowly. “Lena can help me.”

Lena turned back around to face and looked up at her with a small smile and pleading eyes.

“Okay. Give me a call if anything else happens. I should probably get going,” he continued, handing her back her glasses.

“Thank you, Kal,” she mumbled, breaking her gaze with Lena to look back over to her cousin.

He offered them a small nod before quickly taking off into the sky.

She looked back to Lena and watched her suck her lower lip between her teeth. “Can I hug you?” she suddenly blurted out. Her green eyes were pleading and slightly glassy.

Kara hesitated, stiffening and taking in a breath.

Lena dropped her gaze. “You don’t have to hug me back if you think you’ll hurt me I just-” she stopped and shook her head. “No, never mind. It doesn’t matter.” She turned to walk away.

“Lena!” Kara called. She turned back to face her again. _“Zhgam,”_ she whispered, opening her arms. (Come)

Lena practically leapt into her open embrace. She wrapped her arms securely around her waist and buried her face in her checked shirt.

You won’t hurt her, she assured herself - you won’t. She listened carefully to the soft beating of her heart as she brought her arms closer to her shoulders. She was a mere inch away from touching her, but didn’t. She let out a ragged breath as Lena pulled back.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Kara laid awake in bed that night, listening to Lena’s shallow breathing and soft heartbeat as she slept across the room and thought to herself - how can you tell what kind of love it is?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a broken mess of a human being with no chill. My soft, precious babies. I’m getting far too attached. 
> 
> I’ll hopefully be able to upload again on Friday, maybe late tomorrow night if I continue on my track of not being able to control myself. I originally planned to update this weekly on a schedule but I was never very good at that kind of thing. I prefer spontaneity. My track record shows that I either update three times in one day or once in three years.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you’re enjoying and as always I can be found on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) ya know, if you wanna come and scream with me about absolutely anything at all.
> 
> Hope you’re having a pleasant day,  
> Bexs :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone ask for some Alex/Lena content + soft Supercorp at the end?  
> No?  
> Well, that’s what’s happening.

School was becoming a drawl, and Lena was overjoyed when it ended. She let out a sigh of relief when that final bell of the school term rang in her ears signalling that they were finally free for the summer.

Everyone flooded from the room and she grabbed her bag, throwing it recklessly over her shoulder as she followed them.

The splint on her hand was taken off a few days prior and she has been gently bringing herself round to using it again with little things at a time like the doctor suggested. She swaps hands every so often while she’s writing and so far hasn’t carried anything heavier than the large mug she uses for her tea.

Kara still hadn’t got the courage back to touch her again. She was getting confident, but then her speed set in and she wound up back at square one. 

She looked like she wanted to touch her the day she came back with the splint off.

Lena had walked into the Danvers’ house with a wide smile on her face, excited to show Kara that everything was alright in the hopes that she would forgive herself for what happened.

Kara was sitting on the opposite side to Alex on the corner sofa in the living room while they watched a move together. She had looked at her with glassy eyes as she sat down next to her. Lena always ensured that there was enough space between them to not make her uncomfortable.

She held her hand out towards her, wiggling and flexing her fingers. “See? It’s all fine,” she had said.

Kara had reached out as if she wanted to trail her fingers over the back of her hand, over the spots that were previously broken, but she had quickly pulled back and gave no response other than a short smile.

Lena frowned at the thought. It had been over a month and Kara didn’t trust herself enough to interact with any of them out of fear of causing more harm.

She’d broken many things on accident at the beginning, a few solid things, like the wooden banister on the stairs that she unintentionally gripped too hard. She’s good with things like that now, but still refuses to touch anything thinner than five centimetres in thickness, glass or ceramics, and people.

Lena didn’t know how to comfort her and she wanted so desperately to make Kara feel better.

She walked out of the building and saw Alex standing in their usual meeting spot next to the gate waiting for her.

Alex shot her a wide smile and threw her arm over her shoulder. “We’re finally done for summer, Lee. It’s gonna be great!” she exclaimed.

Lena laughed, allowing herself to be tugged along as they started walking home. “Oh yeah, Miss Senior,” she teased.

Alex threw her head back, letting out a loud groan. She dropped her arm and shoved her playfully with her shoulder. “Oh, shush. We’re not talking about that.” She grimaced.

“Do you think Kara will be starting when we go back?” she asked, staring down at the ground.

“Not sure. She could if she feels comfortable enough with her strength by then. English isn’t much of a problem anymore, and you’d be there to keep her company.” Alex gave her another gentle nudge when she didn’t respond. “Hey. What’s up?” she asked.

Lena sighed. “Just Kara, I feel bad. She’s been through so much and there’s nothing any of us can do about it. It’s been over a month and I can see it’s really getting to her.”

“She’s getting there,” Alex said, wrapping her arm around her shoulders again, pulling her tight against her side. “She just needs a little bit more time.”

She nodded slowly. “She hasn’t started flying yet. How’s she going to react when that kicks in?”

Alex shrugged. “We’ll just see when it happens.” She pressed a sweet kiss to her head. “Stop worrying so much, Lee. It’ll be okay.”

The rest of the walk was mostly quiet, neither of them having much they wanted to talk about.

They approached the front door and Alex pulled her close for a hug. Lena sighed, wrapping her arm around the taller girl’s midsection and resting her head on her chest. “Everything’s gonna be fine, you’ll see. This will be the best summer yet because Kara is here and we get to show her the ropes,” she said, resting her chin on her head.

Lena nodded, pulling out of the embrace after a moment.

Alex smiled. “Come on. I’m sure I can convince mom to order pizza to kick off the first night of summer properly.” She ruffled her hair playfully and darted into the house before she could retaliate. She knew how much Lena hated when she did that.

They both let out loud squeals of laughter as they chased each other through the house.

Lena had caught her at the top of the stairs, or well, Alex let her catch her. She wrapped her arms around her again. “Thank you, Alex,” she mumbled.

Alex gave her a soft squeeze. “I’m always here if you need to talk about anything. Never forget that. You’re my little sister, Lena, and I love you.”

“I love you too, Al,” she whispered.

This is what family was meant to be, Lena was now certain of that. The Luthors never were, nor would they ever be, her family. The Danvers have proved time and time again that they were her real family.

Lena walked into her bedroom, expecting to find Kara in there but found it empty. She tossed her backpack down on the floor by her bed and tugged off her jacket, throwing it down on the end of the bed before turning and heading back downstairs.

She walked into the kitchen to see Eliza standing by the sink with a mug of coffee in her hands, staring out the window.

Eliza turned to her with a smile. “I put the kettle on when I heard you two come in.” She picked up her usual mug and handed it to her. “Figured you’d want a cup.”

Lena accepted it eagerly with a wide smile, taking a sip of the hot liquid. She found it comforting and it was her go to at any time of the day. Alex makes jokes all the time about the amount of tea she consumes.

“Thank you,” she mumbled. “Where’s Kara?”

A small smile crossed Eliza’s face as she moved her head to the side, motioning for her to look outside.

Lena stared out the window to see the familiar blonde sitting in the grass with a black cat sitting on her lap.

“It’s a stray that came into the garden,” Eliza started to explain. “She spent an hour trying to get it to come over to her.” She took a sip of her coffee. “It came and sat on her lap about fifteen minutes ago. She’s been trying to convince herself to touch it since.”

Lena frowned. “Should I go out?” she asked hesitantly.

“You could. I think Kara would be happy to see you either way.” She pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She let out a content sigh before turning to walk out the back door.

Kara didn’t notice her presence on the porch, she was too busy muttering to herself and the cat.

Lena held the warm mug in her hands, taking gradual sips as she watched her interact with the animal. The black cat looked rather content in Kara’s lap. It was lying on its side, pawing at her stomach without a care.

She thought about going over but didn’t want to risk scaring the animal away, the pair were wrapped up in their own little world and she didn’t want to disturb it.

 _“I can do it, right?”_ Kara muttered to herself in Kryptonian. _“I won’t hurt you.”_

Lena watched anxiously as Kara lowered her hand to the cat. It eagerly raised its head, breaking the distance and pressing its head against her hand itself.

Kara let out a loud gasp at the contact, visibly stiffening in response. Slowly, she spread her fingers, allowing them to trail through its fur. Tears began to fill in her eyes as she realised she was doing it - she was petting the cat and it wasn’t hurting.

Her head shot up and she made eye-contact with Lena, finally realising that she was being watched.

Lena felt a tear run down her cheek at the wide smile that crossed Kara’s face.

 _“Zhgam,”_ she called out, motioning with her free had for her to come closer.

She set her mug down on the table and slowly made her way over, not wanting to move too quickly and risk scaring the cat. Realising that the content feline wasn’t going anywhere, she sat down next to Kara on the grass.

“I’m proud of you, Kara,” she whispered.

She watched as Kara hesitantly raised her free hand fiddled with a strand of hair that had fallen over her face. She gently tucked it behind her ear. Lena shuddered slightly as her fingertips barely skimmed over her scalp.

Kara continued, taking her right hand in her own. “I will never hurt you again.” She ran her thumb along the back of her hand. _“Khap vrreiahv.”_ (I promise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is literally nothing but soft times ahead so I hope you don’t mind.  
> From here updates might slow a bit because my writing is chaotic, I do not know how to write in chronological order. I have bits and pieces for every chapter from here right up to like 16/17 and none if it is actually finished.   
> So, we’ll see what happens lol.
> 
> As always, if you want to cry with me, I can be found on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/)  
> I hope you’re having a good Friday and I bid you a good start to the weekend.
> 
> Bexs :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We love family bonding in this house.

“Kara!” a voice called out, stirring her awake.

She let out a soft mewl in response, not wanting to open her eyes.

“Kara, wake up!” It was louder this time and startled her.

Her eyes shot open and she lifted her head only to hit it against the ceiling. She let out a soft grunt as she fell back onto the bed and then onto the floor. She let out a soft groan, rubbing her head.

It didn’t exactly hurt, but it was certainly a surprise.

Kara looked up from her spot on the floor to look up at Lena who was sitting upright in her bed and looked like she was struggling to contain her laughter.

“Have a fun trip?” she asked jokingly. “You’re lucky you didn’t go through the floor.”

“You’re very funny,” she muttered.

Their bedroom door flew open. “What happened?” Alex yelled.

Kara turned her head to see both Alex and Eliza standing in the doorway. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly as they stared at her sprawled on the floor.

Lena finally let out her laughter, bursting into fits of giggles. “Kara can fly now,” she squeaked. “I woke up to find her floating. I kinda scared her and the fell.”

Alex snorted, bursting out laughing herself.

“Oh, so everything’s okay then?” Eliza asked.

She nodded, picking herself up off the floor. She looked up to see a crack in the ceiling from where she hit her head. She felt her cheeks heat up a little.

They followed her gaze and Eliza smiled. “It’s just a crack, honey. Nothing to worry about,” she assured her.

It certainly could have been worst, there could have been a Kara sized hole in the ceiling but instead there was nothing but a crack, nothing that couldn’t be easily patched up. The odd thought made her smile. Things really were getting easier.

In that moment, she was thankful that the flight had started to manifest itself now when she finally seems to have a hold on her strength - thanks to Streaky.

The little cat had wandered into the garden the day before and she was so amazed by the little creature. He looked so fluffy and she wanted so desperately to touch him, to see if his fur felt as soft as it looked.

It had taken a while for him to come over, he darted around the garden at a high speed, avoiding her advances of him - hence Streaky due to only seeing streaks of black as he ran - but he eventually came over and settled himself on her lap.

She felt overjoyed at the interaction with the stray and even more so when she was able to run her fingers through his fur.

“I’ll get started on breakfast, you two come down whenever you’re ready,” Eliza said with a warm smile.

They were left in the room again.

Lena was smiling, probably still laughing to herself about her flying mishap. “You really are doing great, Kara,” she said softly.

Kara couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she made her way over and sat down next to Lena on her bed. “Thanks to you,” she mumbled. “You’ve helped me through a lot, Lena. You’ve taught me English, you helped me get some of my powers under control. I really cannot thank you enough.”

Lena’s gaze softened. “I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable like the Danvers did with me when I first arrived. I know it’s not quite the same but I wanted to help the best I could.”

Kara slowly wrapped her arm around her and gently pulled her against her side. Lena softened into the embrace, wrapping her arm around Kara’s waist and resting her head on her shoulder.

She sighed. “Thank you.”

“What for? I haven’t done anything except avoid you for over a month,” Kara attempted to joke.

“For trusting me.”

Kara smiled. “Of course. I would trust you with everything, Lena.”

* * *

Flying was surprisingly easier than Kara thought it was going to be. It only took two days out with Kal to figure out the mechanics and control it, even with how fast she could be. It was a freeing experience, being up in the sky, soaring through the clouds made her feel like she could do anything.

Alex bounced excitedly into the living room where Kara was sitting with Lena. “Are we ready to go?” she squeaked.

“Unfortunately,” Lena responded teasingly.

Alex rolled her eyes. “I’ve packed extra sunscreen. You’ll not get as badly burnt as you did last year, promise.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. She knew that today was Alex’s day to choose what they did and she wanted to do a hike through the nearby woods to a lake about three miles out and was quite looking forward to it.

Lena slipped her hand into hers and gave it a squeeze. “My pale Irish skin is not cut out for the sun. Alex took me on this exact venture last year and I got burned quite badly,” she explained.

She nodded. “So, the sun is bad for humans?”

They laughed. “Well, yes, but also no. Sun is good, but if it’s too warm, it can burn our skin. So we have cream to prevent it,” Lena explained.

“Will I get burned?” Kara asked innocently.

“No, you won’t,” Lena assured her, pulling her to her feet.

She had her hair down, she always had it up when she went to school, but Kara preferred it down. She liked how the soft waves fell over her shoulders and sometimes slipped across her face. Lena was very fiddly with her hair, always tucking it behind her ears or shoving it around with her hands. Kara often watched her twirl a strand of it between her fingers absentmindedly when she was doing her homework - it was cute.

They followed Alex down the road to the trail she knew all too well. They walked together with Kara in the middle, Lena on her right, and Alex on her left. It was hot but the trees provided enough shelter that it didn’t feel as bad as it was. At least, that’s what Lena had told her anyway, Kara didn’t feel much of a difference between warm and cold.

Kara looked around her excitedly, it was the first time she’d ever been outside that wasn’t the Danvers’ backyard, besides her flying lessons with Kal of course. She was amazed with how bright and beautiful everything was.

She heard a light scuttle and turned her head quickly to spy a grey, furry creature running along a tree. She tapped Lena. “What’s that?” she squeaked, pointing towards it.

Lena followed her hand and let out a soft chuckle when she realised. “Oh, it’s a Squirrel, Kar.”

“What do they do?”

Alex laughed and threw her arm over Kara’s shoulders. “You’re adorable. They’re just these small creatures with fluffy tails that like to eat nuts and live in the trees,” she explained. “I think animals are next on the Earth Education, Lee,” she joked.

Kara had a basic knowledge of certain animals that she had accumulated over her time on Earth but she had never seen a squirrel before and she certainly got more than a little excited.

The sound of people talking was gradually growing louder the further down the trail they got. She scrunched up her nose slightly, trying to block them out.

“Hey, you okay?” Lena asked, resting her hand on her arm.

She nodded quickly. “Yes, it’s just loud,” she mumbled.

Alex sighed. “Yeah, sorry. The lake is a good hangout spot on hot days.”

Kara grimaced, but Lena slipped her hand into hers and gave it a soft, reassuring squeeze. _“Pai. Ehlir vo i zhor,”_ she whispered. _“If it gets too much we’ll go for a walk.”_ (Remember. Listen to my heart)

It never failed to make her feel safe and reassured every time Lena spoke to her in Kryptonian.

She smiled. “Thank you, Lee.”

When they stopped on the outskirts, there weren’t as many people as Kara thought there was going to be. There were a few groups scattered around and everyone was between the ages of twelve and nineteen, making up to about twenty-five people total already surrounding the lake.

“You okay?” Lena asked.

Kara looked down at her and nodded.

Lena smiled before sitting down at the base of a tree, fishing a book out of her bag.

Alex then dropped her backpack on the ground beside her. “Wanna come in?” she asked, looking at Kara whilst kicking off her battered converse. “You had lakes and stuff on Krypton, right?”

She nodded slowly. “Of course,” she responded. She knew how to swim, that wasn’t an issue, she just seemed oddly hesitant. “Won’t our clothes get wet?”

“In this heat you’ll be dry again in half an hour, and I brought towels. Come on, please?” she pleaded, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

Kara nodded. “Okay.”

Alex let out a soft squeal, getting Kara to take off her shoes before grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the lake. She could hear Lena laughing softly to herself during the interaction.

They approached the edge of the lake and Alex jumped in. She turned and motioned for Kara to follow.

She did. The water felt cool, but not cold. It was a nice feeling on her warm skin. After a second, she pushed herself to the surface. Swimming in a lake wasn’t something she had never partaken in, but with Alex it was fun.

Once Alex realised that Kara could use her powers to help her swim, she jumped on her back. There wasn’t much of a height difference between them, and Kara had her extra strength, so they had a good time experimenting with that.

After a short while, Kara stepped out of the lake and walked back over to where Lena was sitting. She grabbed one of the towels and laid it down on the ground before sitting down next to her.

Lena’s eyes raised to look at her over the top of her book. “Hi,” she whispered. “Are you having fun?”

She nodded. “Swimming is much easier when you can fly. I just have to float a little and it seems to work.” Lena let out a soft laugh, her eyes dropping back down to her book. “I’d have more fun if you came in.”

Her head shot back up again and she stiffened. Her eyes looked pleading as she sucked her lower lip into her mouth.

Kara could immediately tell that she struck a nerve. “I don’t- I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to I just- you looked lonely over here by yourself and-”

Her ramble was cut off when Lena reached out and took her hand. “Kara, it’s fine.”

She frowned. “You look sad.”

Lena let out a soft sigh as she set her book to the side and dropped her gaze. She started to draw mindless shapes on Kara’s hand with her fingertips. “I don’t like the water,” she started.

“Can you not swim?”

She let out a soft chuckle. “Well, I suppose I can’t because I was always too scared to learn,” she mumbled. “My mother, my real mother, drowned when I was four. The idea of going into a large body of water just-” She took in a deep breath.

Kara frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, really. I much prefer sitting here and reading anyway,” she said with a smile. She let go of her hand and returned to reading her book. “You can go back in if you want.”

Kara shook her head, lying down. “I’ll stay with you,” she mumbled. “If that’s okay.” 

Lena smiled. “Perfectly okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a pale Irish person with skin that hates me, the sun is an all too real struggle lol. 
> 
> I was gonna save this until I’d finished writing the next chapter, but A Little Life has me depressed as all hell so I’m putting more of this fluff piece into the world to make myself feel better. I haven’t finished the book yet, I’m halfway through, but when Katie said this book will leave you broken, boy she meant it.   
> But it’s okay, soft beans make the sads go away. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the support on this marshmallow pile, it really makes me happy seeing that people are enjoying it and I love and appreciate all of you.  
> Here’s my [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) if you wanna scream  
> and I hope you’re all having a good day. 
> 
> Bexs :)


	8. Chapter 8

Summer was something Lena always dreaded before coming to live with the Danvers.

With the Luthors there was no escape, there was no school where she could hide away for six hours and then return home, hide herself in her bedroom and do her homework.

Instead she spent hours under Lillian’s harsh gaze getting told all the things she was doing wrong. She got sent through a variety of lessons over the years - etiquette, fencing, they even hired someone to teach her to swim once, but one screaming child on the verge of a panic attack shut that down fairly quickly.

On the rare occasion, she’d find some time to hide in a corner and read. There were also a few where she got to spend time with Lex where he didn’t feel threatened by how much smarter she was and yell at her. Those times were her favourite part of summer.

But with the Danvers everything was easier. They had their own orchestrated days out to museums, picnics, hikes, a few weekend trips out of town and it was all built on having fun. It was an entirely new experience.

The first trip she took out to the lake with Alex was complicated to say the least. She had no idea where they were going, Alex wouldn’t tell her, she just kept repeating that it was her favourite place to go when it was warm, how it was a place her dad used to take her to when she was younger, and that it would be a lot of fun.

She remembers seeing the large body of water and freezing. How the memory flashed through her mind rendered her speechless and motionless. How she felt completely lost in her head, completely unaware of how Alex had been laughing, yelling, _‘come on let’s go!’_ and dragging her towards the lake.

Lena came to her senses the closer she got and started to cry, repeating the word _‘no’_ over and over. She felt like screaming but there wasn’t enough air in her lungs through the chants and cries.

Alex immediately stopped. “Hey, what happened? Are you okay?” she asked.

Lena shook her head violently and allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. Alex held her tightly, cradling her in her arms as she cried. She could feel herself shaking as she struggled to even out her breathing.

They backed away from the lake. “I’m so, so sorry, I should have asked. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

They stayed at the lake for a few hours, Alex didn’t swim, they just sat and talked. It ruined her shoulders from where they were sitting in the sun, but that’s when Lena started opening up a little. She explained what happened with her real mother and Alex apologised profusely for almost a week after. Lena didn’t blame her, there was no way she could have possibly known because she didn’t tell her. Things eventually calmed down and it brought them closer.

This year with Kara was so much better.

She knew that Alex would want to take a trip out to the lake again so she had brought herself a book and reminded herself to sit in the shade rather thanin direct sunlight.

Alex didn’t say anything to Kara about her mother. Lena assumed it was because she was probably too excited at the prospect of having a real swimming partner, or perhaps not wanting to step out of line and tell Kara anything she didn’t want her to know.

Kara was extremely sweet about it all. She didn’t move from her side the rest of the afternoon, not that she ever strayed far from her anyway. As much as she looked like she enjoyed being in the water with Alex, she chose to stay with her.

It was sweet.

Kara enjoyed the learning experience of actually being out in the world and learning to be around larger groups of people rather than being secluded to the Danvers’ backyard like she had for the two months prior.

* * *

Lena woke up to the soft thumping of feet out on the landing. She let out a soft groan as she realised what day it was - it was the first day of school.

First days always moved slowly, even in the gifted school Lillian had her enrolled in when she was younger. The first day was always the same, get your new schedule and go to your classes where the teacher would sit you down and explain what would be happening that year.

It was all extremely boring, and Lena hated how much it drawled past. The sooner she had work in front of her for her to distract herself with the better.

She turned on her side and opened her eyes, gazing over at Kara who was sitting upright with wide eyes.

Kara.

This year she had Kara.

This wasn’t going to be another dull year of distracting herself from the fact she had no friends with copious amounts of books and extra work that the teachers gave her to work through in her own time. She had Kara to help and guide through.

 _“Good morning, Lena,”_ Kara said, noticing that she was awake.

She smiled, finally willing herself to push back the covers and remove herself from her bed. “Morning, Kara,” she responded politely.

They adapted quickly to one another and went about their usual morning.

Alex was an earlier riser than the two of them, so she was ready by the time they woke up, leaving the bathroom free.

There was never any argument about who would go first, upon Kara having good enough control of her super speed where she didn’t break anything, she went first. Lena would use that short time to organise herself, make her bed, get her clothes, and ensure that she had everything she needed.

She came out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of black jeans and a maroon sweatshirt to find Kara cross-legged on her bed, smiling.

She was wearing denim jeans, a white t-shirt, and a slightly baggy, red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbow. Her hair was down and she had her thick glasses perched on her nose.

Kara always waited for her. She never understood it.

When Kara first got to Earth, she waited and followed her out of fear and hesitancy. But she was completely comfortable in the house now and she couldn’t quite grasp why Kara continued to wait for her no matter what they were doing.

Lena smiled as she made her way over to the mirror that sat just above the chest of drawers and started to brush her hair out of her face and pulled it into a tight, high ponytail.

 _“I think you look prettier with your hair down,”_ Kara piped up, jumping off the bed.

She felt her cheeks heat up slightly. “It’s just, um, easier to have up for school,” she mumbled nervously. Although, she couldn’t quite tell why she was nervous.

They headed downstairs almost side by side and walked into the kitchen. Eliza was sitting at the table and Alex was leaning against the counter pouring herself a cup of coffee. There was a plate of bacon and toast on the table and Kara sat herself down to start eating.

Lena made her way over and poured herself a cup of tea from the freshly prepped pot, pouring in a splash of milk before sitting down next to Kara.

Kara passed her a round of toast. Lena didn’t really eat much in the mornings before school, not that Kara knew that, but she couldn’t say no to her. She accepted the toast with a short smile and bit into it.

“Are you ready for your first day in hell, Kar?” Alex joked as she sat down at the table opposite them.

Eliza scowled. “Don’t scare her, Alex,” she scolded.

Kara let out a nervous chuckle. “I think it’ll be okay,” she mumbled.

Eliza had asked a few weeks ago how she felt about starting school in the coming September with her and Alex. She seemed excited and intrigued at the concept and quickly agreed.

Eliza quickly made the arrangements, got her registered and had ensured that her and Lena stayed together. She wanted everything to be as easy as possible for her and the best way to keep her settled was to have Lena guide her along for the first year. She would have to do a test to be placed in Lena’s advanced maths class, but nobody had any doubt that Kara would have any bother with it.

Not being able to pull her from it - Gym was a bridge they would cross when they came to it.The thought of it made them all nervous, but hopefully it would go okay. Kara had gotten a pretty good grasp at her powers.

“You’ll be fine. Lena will be right there beside you,” Eliza said, pressing a kiss to Kara’s head.

The walk there was quick. Kara walked with a slight, almost excited, bounce to her step which made Lena smile. She was happy that Kara was excited and not scared, it just showed how far she’s come in the past few months and made her so unbelievably proud of her.

* * *

The day, surprisingly to Lena, was a blur. It wasn’t the same slow drawl that she had become accustomed to. There was something about having the excited Kryptonian, bouncing alongside her like a puppy, asking her questions and always checking in to make sure she was okay that made the day go by so much quicker.

Kara, as expected, was placed in the same advanced Maths class as Lena. They had her sit the test that morning upon her arrival at the front office. Lena had to remind her not to use her speed to fly through it. To take at least twenty-five minutes to do the twenty questions.

She didn’t want her to hold back on how smart she was and figured just over a minute per question would be quick enough for Kara to not get bored, but slow enough for it to not seem like she cheated.

Kara followed her blindly towards the cafeteria when it got to lunchtime. Lena led her to an empty table where they sat down opposite one another and pulled out their respective lunches.

There were people everywhere, it was like the corridors, but the cafeteria was certainly much worse.

Kara grimaced, her body visibly flinching as some boy dropped his tray on the table behind them with a loud clatter. “Is it always this loud?” she asked.

Lena frowned. “Unfortunately. I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

Kara shook her head. “It’s fine, it’s just a lot but I’ll get used to it eventually.”

Lena offered her a short smile, picking at her sandwich.

Kara was talking to her excitedly about what they had been told throughout the day about their classes. Lena simply watched her in awe, taking in every word that spilled from her mouth with a smile.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Alex asked, flopping down next to Lena. She set two milkshakes down on the table in front of them. “Thought you guys might enjoy a treat. Isn’t it great to have a big sister that can go off campus for lunch and bring you back things?” she teased.

Kara shot her a wide smile as she reached for her milkshake.

“Things are going good. Kara’s getting on really well,” Lena responding, realising that she was too distracted by the drink to respond. “She’s excited about everything.”

Kara shot them a shy smile, setting down the milkshake. “It was different on Krypton. _Ukr_ and _ieiu_ home-schooled me. I had tutors and stuff. We had a school, but I didn’t go to it,” she explained. (Dad and mom - pronounced Jeju)

Lena watched her carefully. Kara didn’t talk much about Krypton unless she was explaining something about the language or answering a simple question. This was the first she’d ever brought it up on her own.

Alex laughed. “Well, welcome to American High School, Kara Zor-El Danvers. Hope you enjoy it because you’re here for another four years,” she joked.

Kara perked up slightly at the way Alex had included her last name with her new name. She smiled. “Zor-El Danvers,” she mumbled. “I like that.”

Lena couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I’m back.  
> Ideally, this should’ve been up weeks ago and this whole thing would probably be close to finished by now, but I have a brain that doesn’t know how to focus on one thing long enough to finish it and I kept getting distracted.   
> Now, when I say distracted I mean, the document for this fic is currently 26k, 15k of which is unpublished dribbles of finished and half-finished chapters and randomly titled anecdotes to myself. It’s a massive mess.   
> There’s one chapter that’s probably going to be chapter 20 something, that’s titled “I have no chill, I’m stupid and need to calm down” that’s the level of chaos I’m talking. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and I do apologise for the long wait. I’m also going to mention that I am not American, I’m Northern Irish, and I know absolutely nothing about the American school system so I am being as vague as possible because I’m trying to avoid both looking stupid and just saying stuff wrong lol.
> 
> As always, if you want to scream with me about anything at all, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) and I bid you all a good day. 
> 
> Bexs :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to today’s instalment titled, “This was a cute and fluffy 1.5k chapter until I got carried away as usual and now it’s a 3k mess.”  
> I’m sorry is all I’m going to say.

Kara shifted as she heard rustling from Lena’s side of the room, she was leaving to head to the bathroom.

She knew what day it was and let out a soft sigh.

Shortly after she got to Earth, Alex had asked her how birthdays worked. She explained that on Krypton they didn’t celebrate the day you were born, but the day you got your name. It was the marking of being officially brought into your House.

Alex, being eager as always, had enlisted the help of Kal to figure out when Kara’s name-day would be in Earth time so they could celebrate it as her birthday.

It was today - 22nd of September.

Theoretically. She shouldn’t be fourteen today, she should be thirty-eight, which was not great for her to think about. It made her slightly uncomfortable and rather upset.

The Phantom-Zone took away twenty four years of her life. Twenty four years where she should have been with Kal, raising him, teaching him about Krypton and their House, their home. It reminded her of all that time she never got with him.

But it brought her to the Danvers - it brought her to Lena. And for that, she hated it less.

She sat up as Lena came back into the room. She stood at the end of her bed for a moment, fingers tangled together, fidgeting nervously.

“How are you feeling today?” she asked softly.

Kara smiled and pushed back the covers, flopping down on top of them. She motioned for Lena to join her and she did, sitting down opposite her on the bed.

She stared into her green eyes. “Okay, I suppose. It’s odd ageing again,” she mumbled.

 _“Threvzeht :jevia, Kara Zor-El Danvers,”_ Lena whispered, taking her hand and giving it a soft squeeze. (Happy Birthday)

Unable to help herself, she reached forward and wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist. She pulled gently, almost lifting her, so that she was on her lap. She felt Lena stiffen slightly at the touch and almost dropped her, prepared to apologise profusely, but she relaxed. Lena returned the hug and rested her head on her shoulder.

They sat like that just wrapped in each other’s arms, neither of them knew for how long. It was nice; comforting. Lena’s heartbeat was steady as Kara held her in her arms, no longer afraid that she would break Lena in two if she squeezed too hard.

Lena pulled out of the embrace and shot her a small smile. “We should probably get ready and head downstairs if we don’t want to be late for school,” she mumbled.

Kara nodded. “Yeah,” she said as Lena got up from her lap and headed back to her side of the room.

They headed downstairs once they were ready.

It amazed Kara how every weekday morning before school was like clockwork and was practically seamless as it ran the exact same way every day without a hitch.

Every day they went downstairs, Alex and Eliza would already be sitting at the table drinking their coffee and picking at their food. Lena would pour her tea and Kara would fetch herself some juice and make some toast for herself and Lena.

She realised within the first few mornings that although Lena would eat on weekends, she didn’t really have the stomach for it on school days. She still ate a single round for Kara though and that made her smile.

This morning there was bacon on the table the same way their was on their first day of school.

Alex leapt to her feet and wrapped her in a strong hug. “Happy birthday, Kara!” she squeaked.

She smiled, returning the hug. “Thanks, Alex.”

Eliza shot her a smile as she sat herself down at the table. “It’s your choice on what we order for dinner tonight, any ideas?” she asked.

Kara shrugged. “Chinese?”

“Extra potstickers?” Eliza offered.

Her eyes widened and she nodded her head quickly.

Lena let out a soft chuckle from beside her as she sipped at her tea

* * *

Kara was following Lena closely as they made their way down the hall through the swarms of people who were all eager to leave for the weekend.

_“Looks like the rejected Luthor found another reject.”_

She wasn’t sure where or who the words came from, but it was a boy’s voice and it made her stop dead.

Lena looked up at her. “You okay?” she whispered

She scowled. “Someone said something mean about you,” she grumbled.

“Oh,” she sighed. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.” She laid her hand on her arm and tried to urge her to keep walking but she refused to move.

“But it’s not nice,” she responded, her voice was on the verge of a whine.

“Kids are mean, Kara, and I don’t come from a liked family,” she explained.

Lena looked uncomfortable as she shifted from foot to foot and gripped the strap of her backpack, pushing it further up her shoulder.

Kara frowned. “But you’re not one of them.”

She shrugged. “Sure, the Luthors didn’t want me, but I kept my last name. That’s enough for people to make their opinions. I knew that and I’m okay with that.”

“Human’s are stupid,” she grumbled.

Lena let out a bark of laughter, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah, they are. Especially young teens, but trust me, they’re all bark.”

_“She probably would have stayed by herself if the Danvers didn’t take in another weirdo that had to be her friend.”_

Lena heard him that time as he was walking past, visibly flinching.

Kara recognised him. He was in a few of their classes, usually sat at the back with his friends, caused a ruckus sometimes. She reached out her hand and grabbed his backpack, yanking him back.

“Wow, what the hell?” he snapped, glaring at her.

He was a lanky boy and was about half a head taller than her.

She scowled. “I don’t think what you’re saying is very nice,” she said, making it very clear why she grabbed him.

He scoffed. “So? She’s a Luthor, they’re all the same. You wouldn’t be friends with her either if you had a choice.”

Kara felt anger begin to bubble up inside her. This boy had no idea what he was talking about. Odds were, he was probably repeating whatever biases and opinions he heard at home from his parents rather than thinking for himself.

“I would because Lena is her own person and she’s wonderful. She’s kind, smart, funny, and nothing like her family,” she snapped. She took a step towards the boy, squaring up to him. “So don’t you dare group her in with them.”

She’d never felt this way before and she couldn’t quite explain it. She suddenly felt very protective and possessive of Lena and she wasn’t entirely sure where it came from. It has probably been triggered through listening to this boy speak ill of her friend, but it was still new and she wasn’t expecting to feel like this.

The boy laughed. “You must be blind and stupid then.” He plucked the glasses from her nose before Kara could even react. “Clearly you weren’t wanted either if you’re with her.”

What happened next took everyone by surprise, not just her.

Lena had grabbed him and shoved him against the lockers next to them. “Don’t!” she snapped.

Her heartbeat was running wild, thumping loudly in Kara’s ears as her chest rose and fell with deep, almost harsh, breaths.

“You can say whatever you want about me if you think it’ll help boost your little boy ego and make you seem cool.” She pressed her finger to his chest, glaring up at him.

Kara thought to herself from the look on Lena’s face that if she had her heat vision then that boy would be ash right about now.

“But don’t you dare talk about Kara like that. How dare you. You know nothing about her or what she’s been through. Keep her name out of your mouth and never say anything like that to her, or to anyone else, again.”

Her tone was scary, Kara had never heard it before, it wasn’t something she had ever expected to come out of her. She was so small, and quiet, and passive that seeing her shove a boy against a locker and yell at him to defend her came as a shock.

She was angry, that much was excruciatingly clear. She may be smaller than him, but the boy was nodding frantically and looked like he was on the verge of tears from the harsh scolding she had just given him.

Kara stepped forward, placing her hand gently on her shoulder. “Lee,” she whispered.

She longed to speak to her in Kryptonese, wanting to whisper reassurances to her but knew better.

Lena dropped her hand from the boy’s chest, holding it out flat, waiting for him to return the pair of glasses that he was still clinging to.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, shoving them into her hand and running down the hall with his friends following quick on his heels.

Lena looked around, noticing how many people were staring at her and practically crawled in on herself. She slipped the glasses back onto Kara’s face and scurried away.

Kara was next to her in an instant as she weaved her way through the people. “Lee,” she repeated.

“I don’t wanna talk about it, Kara. I just - can we go home, please?” she whimpered.

She felt her heart clench from inside her chest as she saw the tears lingering in her eyes that were threatening to fall. “Sure, yeah.”

Alex was definitely waiting at the front gate for them and she knew she would ask questions if Lena was crying so it was best to follow her wishes.

When they got home, Lena ran up the stairs and Kara hung back, still trying to wrap her head around everything.

“What happened? She was quieter than usual and I know when she’s upset,” Alex asked, shrugging off her coat.

Kara let out a soft sigh and quickly recalled what had happened on their way out of school between them and the boy.

Alex scowled. “Kids are such little dicks,” she spat before pulling her into a hug. “Go make sure she’s okay, I’ll fill mom in.”

“She said she didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Then go give her a hug, she needs one.”

Kara nodded and pulled back from Alex’s embrace.

She walked hesitantly into the room. Usually, if Lena went up to the room before her, she would leave the door open but this time it was closed. She felt a little awkward at first but as soon as she saw Lena curled up on her bed all of that vanished.

She dropped her bag on the floor and made her way over to her. Rather than sitting down on the bed, she leaned down next to it, resting her arms on the edge, not wanting to force herself into Lena’s space if she didn’t want her there.

 _“Lee, are you okay?”_ she asked softly.

She didn’t respond, she just let out a soft sniffle and curled in tighter. Her raven hair was down and fell over her face, shielding it from view.

 _“I gynot :bysh,”_ she whispered. _“I :zrhueiao, Lena.”_ She didn’t really know what to say to comfort her but she was trying. (My caring friend. My lovely)

 _“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me, but I’m right here if you need me.”_ She reached out hesitantly and ran her fingers down her arm. _“Zhindif.”_ (Always)

Lena reached up blindly and grasped her fingers in hers, giving them a light tug. Kara took it as a request to join her so she carefully slipped onto the bed bedside her.

She still hadn’t looked at her. She remained curled up on her side with her arm tucked at a random angle underneath her fiddling with her hand.

“I don’t like what he said about you,” she croaked out after a few moments of silence had passed. “Not when he has no idea what you’ve been through.” She shifted, finally turning to face her.

Her eyes were red and blotchy, her cheeks were wet from tears and Kara felt her heart sink.

“It’s fine what he says about me because it’s true. I am the rejected Luthor, they didn’t want me so why should anyone else?”

Kara had heard enough. She wrapped her arms securely around Lena, pulling her tight against her front. _“Zha, i :zrhueiao :bysh,”_ she mumbled, running her fingers through her soft hair, pushing it out of her face. _“You are perfect, and good, and kind. I don’t know much about your family but you are not them and they are stupid if they didn’t see how smart and wonderful you are,”_ she rambled, unable to stop herself. (No, my beautiful friend)

Lena sniffed, clinging so Kara’s shirt so hard that her knuckles went white.

Kara sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut. _“Khap sem ripp. Khap nim zhindif throniv ripp. Khap nim zhadif awuhkh ripp.”_ (I want you. I will always protect you. I will never abandon you)

 _“Vrreiahv?”_ Lena whimpered. (Promise?)

Her breathing hitched. “I promise, Lena. Nothing will ever take me from you.”

She continued to hold her until her ragged breathing evened out. Lena’s grip had loosened and her hands fell limp - she had fallen asleep.

.

Kara laid with her until dinner arrived and Alex came knocking on the bedroom door.

It jolted Lena from her nap and she let out a soft groan.

“You okay, Lee?” Alex asked softly.

She nodded. “Yeah,” she mumbled, rubbing her left eye with her fist as she sat up.

Kara stood up as Alex made her way over. She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and held her tightly. “You did a good thing sticking up for Kara. I’m so proud of you,” she whispered. “My wonderful little sister.”

Kara couldn’t help but notice how Lena’s lower lip gave the slightest little quiver at Alex’s words, how she gripped tighter to Alex’s shoulders.

This was the family she needed and deserved. Not one that got rid of her as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The thought of the Luthors made Kara feel sick.

“Come on,” she whispered, rubbing her back. “Let’s go eat.” Alex pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead as she pulled out of the embrace and helped Lena to her feet.

Kara was more conscious of Lena while she ate than usual. Lena ate slower, picking more at her food than actually eating it.

She let out a soft sigh as Eliza started clearing up. She stared at the last potsticker and moved it onto Lena’s plate.

The action startled her and she flinched, staring up at her with wide, confused green eyes.

Kara offered her a small smile before getting to her feet to help clean up.

She knew Lena needed that extra bit of reassurance that she was welcome and wanted and that Lena would never admit it. She wanted her to know that she cared about her, that she wasn’t just her friend because she had to be like that boy in the hallway said, but that she was her friend because she wanted to be, because she liked her.

Eliza pulled Lena into a hug and kissed her head. “We’re good down here, go you and lie down if you want.”

Lena nodded, giving Kara a small smile before leaving the room.

Things were fairly quiet as her and Alex cleaned up the kitchen.

“Do you think I could sleep outside tonight?” Kara asked, breaking the long silence.

Eliza shrugged. “I don’t see why not. There’s a spare spare duvet in the cupboard, you can take whatever spare blankets you can find out with you, not that you’ll be cold, but just in case,” she said with a smile.

Kara got to work, speeding around the house grabbing what Eliza said she could and setting it up on the dry, hard grass in the backyard.

She stared silently up at the sky. Midvale was quiet and the night was clear so she could see every star in the sky above her.

She heard the back door close and her head shot up. She looked to see Lena standing on the porch with the knitted blanket that usually sat at the end of her bed wrapped around her.

“I thought you might like some company,” she mumbled.

She smiled, inching over and patting the empty space beside her on the double duvet.

Lena made her way over and laid down beside her. “You okay?”

Kara nodded. “Yeah, just thinking. I like looking at the stars, it’s comforting,” she mumbled. She shifted. “You can’t see Krypton from here.”

Lena took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She turned her head to look into her kind green eyes.

She frowned. “I did some reading. You call the constellation Corvus, we’re in the wrong hemisphere to see it.”

Being able to see Krypton from Earth was an oddly comforting thought. That even though she knew that her home was gone, it wouldn’t be truly gone from sight for billions of years to come.

She turned and looked up again. “It’s nice to look up at them. I always loved the stars. I used to sit by the window with my Aunt Astra and stare at them for hours into the night. She would teach me the constellations, the names of stars, planets, moons,” she rambled on.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked.

Lena shrugged. “I suppose,” she mumbled.

“I’ve never seen you like that. It was surprising,” she confessed.

Lena’s eyes drifted closed and she let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know what it was. I just couldn’t let him say that about you.”

Kara smiled. “Well, thank you.”

“Sorry if I ruined your birthday with it all,” she suddenly piped up after a moment of silence.

“No, no, you didn’t. Eliza said we’d do the cake tomorrow. I don’t really understand the whole Earth Birthday thing. You did absolutely nothing wrong,” she tried to assure her, but Lena gave no vocal reply, she just continued to stare up at the sky.

They laid there in silence for a long time. Occasionally, Kara would point out a star or a constellation and describe it in full detail which made Lena laugh softly and smile as she went on and on.

She watched as Lena’s eyes started to drift close. She shuddered slightly and Kara frowned.

“Are you cold?” she asked.

Lena hummed sleepily. “It’s not too bad.”

She was cold, she just wasn’t going to admit it because if Kara had learned anything about Lena in these past few months was that she was as stubborn as they come.

Kara shifted, throwing a thick blanket over the top of both of them and wrapped her arms around Lena, knitted blanket still wrapped securely around her shoulders.

Her hands loosened their grip around the blanket and moved to Kara, wrapping her arms around her midsection, cuddling further into her touch. _“Ripp nahn khuluf,”_ she murmured, resting her head on her chest. (You are warm)

Kara couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she held her. “I meant what I said, you know,” she whispered.

Lena simply hummed, letting her know that she was still somewhat awake and could hear her without giving a verbal response.

“I’ll always be here for you because you were there for me when I first got to Earth. You’re my best friend, Lena. Not because I have to be but because I want to be.”

Kara could’ve sworn she felt Lena’s grip on her midsection tighten for a brief second as she spoke. 

“You’re my best friend too, Kara.” Her response was sleepy and quiet as she pressed further into her side.

Kara couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she stared up at the sky, stars twinkling back at her whilst Lena slept happily, and securely, in the warmth of her arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I upset myself while writing this.   
> I didn’t intend for this chapter to be like this, but I wanted to bulk it out a little, got an idea, my hand slipped, here’s 3k of hurt comfort because I’m a mess.   
> I’d like to say the next chapter is lighter and fluffier (which it definitely is, I promise) with some Alex, Lena and Kara bonding. 
> 
> I’m back on my trail of updated frequently because I have things ready to go, so I hope you’re enjoying this so far.  
> If you would like to scream with me, I’m on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) and twitter under BexsLD as well, although I don’t really use it much, thought I’d throw it in anyway. 
> 
> Thanks for reading (again, I’m sorry) and I’ll have the next part up within the next day or two.  
> Bexs :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings? What are those? Idk so I’m just going to overthink and probably ignore them - Lena Luthor.

School for the rest of the year was fine.

The first week after Lena’s little show in the hallway had been an awkward one. Nobody said anything to any teachers, it’s not as if she got into trouble or anything, but people looked at her different.

People rarely acknowledged her existence prior to that.

Her first week was the hardest, the fact that a Luthor was at their school spread through the school within a day and suddenly there were streams of rumours but once they realised that she was quiet and rarely spoke, it was dropped.

But suddenly everyone was talking again.

She was dubbed a _‘typical Luthor’_ after the way she blew up at the boy. It was something that she wasn’t aware she was capable of doing and it sent her into a spiral.

Kara was phenomenal through it all.

That first Monday night had Kara holding her again, whispering reassuring words in her ear, both in Kryptonese and in English, that she wasn’t her family, that she was better than them, that she was her best friend and she’d always be there for her if she needed.

She also had Alex who was threatening to beat some kids up.

It cooled down after a while and people went back to pretending she wasn’t there.

She wondered what she had done to deserve having someone like Kara in her life, someone who was so kind, and caring, and selfless. Someone who was so exceedingly perfect.

She could have never expected something this good to come out of being tossed out by her family and on this one thing she was thankful for it. The Danvers were far too good to comprehend and adding Kara on top of that was indescribable.

The current predicament was Alex moving away to go to Medical school and they were spending as much of the summer doing things together as they could because they wouldn’t be seeing her again until Christmas.

Lena didn’t even want to think about how she would have handled it if she didn’t have Kara with her.

Alex helped her so much within her first year with them, she basically single-handedly brought her out of her shell and got her to talk more, to gradually open up about her feelings surrounding the Luthors and how Lillian had effectively gotten rid of her and made her part of their family.

Alex was the older sibling she had always wanted. She was the complete opposite of Lex in every way. She never once shouted at her, or slammed a door in her face, or hit her, or called her a wide variety of names the way Lex did. She helped her, she encouraged her, she gave her hugs and told her that she was proud of her. Lena didn’t understand how much she needed that until she came to live with the Danvers.

“Are you sure you want to go to the lake today, Alex? It doesn’t look like the best day,” Kara asked just as they were headed out the door.

She nodded. “Yeah, it’s dry, and there’ll be no one there so you don’t have to hide away your powers. And Lee won’t have to sit all the way at the clearing so avoid getting burned.”

Alex had a fair point. It wasn’t cold outside, it was just cloudy so it was the perfect opportunity for Kara to completely be herself at the lake.

When they arrived, Alex was right, there was no one there but them.

“Lead the way, Lee. Where are we setting up?” Alex asked.

Lena gulped, staring at the large body of water. _Where are we setting up?_ she supposes is just a nice way of Alex asking _how close can you get without triggering a panic attack?_

She nervously walked out towards the lake. She could feel the warmth of Kara as her arm brushed against hers with every step she took. She stopped a few paces from the edge. She wondered to herself if she could get closer but this was a good enough spot for the bag so that it wouldn’t get wet.

Alex dropped the bag and turned to Kara. “You ready?”

Kara nodded quickly.

“I’m gonna try and sit closer,” Lena squeaked, taking the two other girls by surprise. “I wanna try.”

Alex wrapped her arms around her. “One step at a time. If you ever think you’re ready to come in, even if it’s years away or if it never happens, I’m proud of you.”

She nodded and walked to the edge with them. Lena sat down and watched as Kara and Alex made their way into the water. She was sitting close enough to the lake that she could put her foot in if she wanted to. It was the closest she has ever gotten to the large body of water without bursting into tears.

She thought to herself for a moment. Could she do it? Would she be able to get in without panicking? Kara and Alex would never let anything happen to her, she trusted them with her life. She watched as the pair swam around only a few meters in front of her. They were both extremely good swimmers, she would certainly be okay with them beside her.

Lena gulped. “Kara?” she mumbled.

She watched as Kara’s head spun around instantly. She quickly made her way over, clambering out of the lake and sat down beside her.

“You okay, Lee?” she asked.

She nodded. “Just thinking.” She stared out at Alex who was watching with a slightly concerned look spread across her face. Lena bit her lower lip. “If I got in would you help me?” she asked, turning her head to look Kara in the eye.

Her blue eyes softened. “Are you sure?” she asked. “If you’re feeling left out, I’m sure we could-”

“It’s not that,” she cut her off. She took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I just want to try,” she whispered.

Kara looked hesitant for a moment but soon nodded. “I’m not gonna let go of you. If you want out, say the word and I’ll have you out in less than a second.”

 _“Khap shahr rrip,”_ she whispered, not breaking Kara’s gaze for a second. (I trust you)

Kara nodded. She helped Lena to her feet and carefully picked her up.

Lena was wrapped securely around her front, legs around her waist and arms around her neck. She could feel the wetness from Kara’s soaked clothes seep into her own and she shuddered.

“Are you sure?” Kara checked in again.

She nodded, pressing her nose against her throat. “Yes,” she mumbled.

She couldn’t feel Kara leaving the ground. Flying with Kara wasn’t something she was particularly fond of trying, but Alex loved it. But this wasn’t flying in the air, this was just a little bit of floating to get into the water.

She did hear Kara hitting the lake though and subconsciously squeezed tighter.

Kara came to a sudden stop. “Your heart in going crazy. Lee, are you sure?” She ran a hand along her back. “I don’t want you working yourself up over this.”

God, she loves this girl.

She froze. That was a thought that had never crept up before.

The question that Kara had asked her over a year ago when she first got to Earth flashed through her mind - How can you tell what kind of love it is?

Lena didn’t know the answer at the time, and even now, a few months shy of fifteen she still didn’t know. I guess you just know had been her response, but it clearly wasn’t as simple as that.

How could you tell?

Did she love Kara in that family sense? She knew for certain that’s how she loved Alex, but it felt different with Kara, so perhaps it wasn’t that.

Was it because they were best friends? Kara was the only true friend she had ever had and they were so comfortable around each other, so perhaps she’s just thinking about it too hard and that’s all it is.

Or was she in love with her?

She had no idea and that was terrifying.

She spoke to Kara about everything, but this was something she would be keeping to herself until she figured it out once and for all.

“Lena?” Kara whispered. “Still with me?” She scratched gently at her back. _“Come back to me, Lee.”_

She let out a soft hum in response as she was knocked out of her thoughts. She didn’t know how long she had been trapped in there for but Kara was still holding her tightly, hovering over the water, waiting for that confirmation that she was alright.

 _“Khap nahn bem. Khap vrreiahv,”_ she mumbled, nuzzling against her neck. (I am good. I promise)

Kara gave her a gentle squeeze. “Okay, it’s going to be a little cold,” she warned.

Lena felt her legs hit the water and she flinched, clenching Kara’s shoulder’s tighter. She let out a soft whimper and Kara backed out of the water.

“Lee,” she whispered, almost like a soft warning, reminding her that she wouldn’t go any further if she didn’t want to.

She shook her head. “I’m okay. Just keep going.”

Kara hesitated. “I don’t want you to-”

 _“Sokao,”_ she cut her off. “Please, I want to do this.” She could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes and urged herself not to cry because if she started to cry, Kara would put an end to this in an instant. (Please)

She knew she could do it with Kara there with her and she wanted to prove to herself that she could.

As the water reached her waist, Lena let out the breath she wasn’t aware she was holding.

“Are you sure?” she asked one more time, scratching gently at her lower back again, making sure she was still present. 

Lena nodded quickly. “Yes.”

Slowly, the water rose to her shoulders and in that moment she was thankful that Kara was indestructible because she was fairly certain that she would have broken something from how hard she was gripping.

 _“Ripp nahn voi bah khap,”_ Kara whispered. _“I will never let anything bad happen to you. Ever.”_ (You are safe with me)

Lena let out a slightly staggered breath as she lifted her head from its spot buried in Kara’s neck for the first time since she picked her up. She stared into Kara’s big, caring blue eyes and smiled. “Thank you, Kara.”

“You did it!” Alex yelled as she swam closer.

Lena felt one of Kara’s arms loosen from around her waist and her eyes widened. She felt her heart-rate pick up and her breath caught in her chest.

“I’m not gonna let you go,” she whispered. She felt her shift slightly as she crossed her legs, securing her on her lap as she floated in the water. She stuck one arm out for Alex to cling to, while the other remained securely around her waist. _“I’ve always got you.”_

Alex looked at her with a wide smile across her face. “Well done, Lee. I’m proud of you.”

Lena smiled. Oddly, it was okay. It certainly wasn’t something she would ever do without Kara there, she doesn’t think she’ll ever be comfortable enough for that, but for now this worked, for now she felt safe. 

“Okay, I think I’m done now,” she squeaked after almost a minute.

Alex dropped Kara’s arm and within seconds, they were back on dry land.

Kara pulled out one of the towels and wrapped it around her. She hooked an arm around her and pulled her close to her side.

Lena leaned in to the Kryptonian’s obnoxiously warm body, cuddling firmly against her side.

 _“I’m so proud of you,”_ she whispered, placing a gentle kiss to her head.

She stiffened. In the year Kara’s been on Earth, that was something she’d never done before. Cuddling was second nature to them now, but they had never kissed each other anywhere before. Alex kissed her forehead sometimes if she was upset or anxious, maybe it was the same with Kara and she was just overthinking.

It’s time to shove these new thoughts and feelings into a box to sort out later, she thought to herself because now certainly wasn’t the time to be trying to deal with it.

Perhaps in a few years she’ll understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it’s not obvious, I adore Lena and I would 100% die for her.   
> I don’t actually have a lot to say today which is a surprise lol.
> 
> I would like to say though that I really appreciate you all. This fic has been like a comfort blanket for me these past weeks where I’ve just been able to tune out the world and write an obnoxious amount of fluff (my God, you are not prepared for the fluff I’ve written for later chapters, your teeth are guaranteed to fall out it’s that sweet) and it makes me really happy that people are enjoying it because I love writing it. 
> 
> If you would like to scream with me, I’m on [Tumblr](http://artyqueer.tumblr.com/) where I mostly just cry.   
> Not entirely certain when I’ll have the next chapter up because it’s one of the ones I’ve written barely anything for and I have Uni deadliness coming up, but it’ll hopefully not take longer than a week (I hope lol)  
> Thank you for reading, I hope you’re having a good day.  
> Bexs :)


End file.
